Libellous news articles reveal Labour is running a hate campaign against Vox Political
Keir Starmer: he seems to be conducting a war against This Site and others like it. Let’s put a stop to it.
One would imagine that, faced with a legal battle that it is unlikely to win, any organisation would back away from further antagonising the opposing side.
Not so with Labour!
Despite facing court proceedings for breach of contract over the way the party accused This Writer of anti-Semitism and expelled me from the party – a case it is almost certain to lose – it seems Labour is waging a hate campaign against me and This Site.
I read about it in a paper!
In its piece Labour suspends Brighton councillor over alleged antisemitism, The Guardian refers to Labour’s decision to suspend the party membership of Anne Pissaridou, over alleged anti-Semitic content.
Yes, it says “alleged” – but the article is clearly intended to give the impression that the pieces she shared on Facebook are anti-Semitic.
It continues: “Labour’s inquiry will also focus on a second post from August 2018 on a website run by Mike Sivier, who was expelled from Labour in the same year after he allegedly refused to undertake antisemitism training.
“The headline of that post said: “Jewish Israeli journalist claims pro-Israel propagandists have ‘taken out contract’ to stop Jeremy Corbyn being elected.””
Apparently the party’s compliance unit received the complaint the previous week.
For clarity, anyone reading my article will see that it consists mostly of quotes from a piece by a highly-respected, award-winning Jewish Israeli journalist, Gideon Levy, supporting Jeremy Corbyn as a potential future prime minister of the UK (it was published in 2018). There isn’t a scrap of anti-Semitism in it.
The Guardian piece, of course, fails to include a link to my article, thus depriving readers of the opportunity to judge for themselves.
Here’s a link to it. If you use it, you will see that Mr Levy was arguing that it is Israel’s aggression against Palestinians that is enflaming anti-Jewish sentiment across the world, and that Corbyn was right to speak up against it. The attempt to use the article as an example of anti-Semitism is an example of exactly the kind of behaviour it highlights: “the gagging, in the form of labeling any criticism as anti-Semitism, is outrageous”.
It is outrageous.
I have written to The Guardian, at first simply asking why I had not been offered the right of reply to the allegation made against me. The response has been unsatisfactory so I have now demanded a full retraction and apology. Otherwise I will consider my options.
And those options are likely to have serious repercussions for the newspaper. Remember that court case? I’m taking Labour to court at Bristol Civil Justice Centre on October 2, starting at 10am – for breach of contract. The party broke its own rules by mishandling accusations of anti-Semitism against me, in order to have an excuse to expel me. The evidence is very clear and I do not expect to lose.
If I win, then any news organisation publishing the lie that I am anti-Semitic in any way will be in a highly actionable position.
That includes the Brighton and Hove News, from which the Guardian piece seems to have been copied verbatim, on the very same day. Odd, that.
So I would like to appeal for anybody who has been accused of sharing anti-Semitic articles because they have shared pieces from This Site to contact me with information about these accusations. Let’s put this in front of a judge as soon as we can.
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
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Sly bu**ers.
I’ve noted the court date in my diary…have they told you that it’s video hearing Make or will they confirm it nearer the time?
Nearer the time I think.
Ok thanks. I shall keep my eyes open.
It really has been a common problem with this whole issue over the past 5 years. Selective quoting while not providing a link to where the quotes come from so readers can get an informed view in full context, which you’ve experienced with the CAA and various newspapers of course.
The general public won’t delve any further than what newspapers/readers & politicians say, though, something I call the informed delusion. Which makes it an uphill struggle trying to debate with anyone when they feel they’re properly informed already.
Take the first post she shared. No where in the Guardian piece does it quote that that article stated the Rothschilds are Jewish (if it did I’m sure they’d have quoted it). The Guardian writers pointed that out, which could be seen as antisemitic.
And then the other common problem, which Chris Williamson got called out on. Anne’s first thought is not of defending herself, but to apologise, say she was wrong, which then implicates yourself. By her apologising she is agreeing that your article is antisemitic, which is nonsense, but thousands of people will believe that now and will just laugh at you if you suggest going to read the article in question
.
The destruction of the Labour left, sadly, has worked. Alleged anti-Semitism will continue to be used to keep them away from any real power.
good luck mike!
Jill Phillips
Copied to FB with Comment below.
This is totally outrageous. I always read – and regularly share – Mike Sivier’s excellent daily Vox Political articles. Every single one of them is seriously informed and conceived, justly and carefully composed; indeed – the perfect example of the kind of daily journalism we should be getting from a choice of serious, informed – and just – daily newspapers and broadcasting media!!
Some hope.
Mike Sivier is a star. Kier Starmer has now thoroughly proved himself to be (just) dishonest crap.
I was expelled a couple of weeks ago and also accused of anti semitism for sharing posts about the atrocities being committed against the Palestinians.